Brown Apartments

A mission to preserve historic housing
The rehabilitation of this small apartment building in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was a project two years in the making. Built in 1914 as a popular housing option for families that worked downtown, the building fell into severe disrepair from several years of disuse. Four Oaks and the Affordable Housing Network purchased the building in 2007 to renovate it for low-income renters, and in 2008 Ryan and OPN Architects began the process of renovating and preserving the historic building.

The building features efficiency through three-bedroom units with rents ranging from $350 to $600 a month. The original plans for Brown Apartments were found prior to the commencement of design, and the team’s goal was to follow the original plans as closely as possible while maximizing the limited project budget.